مررت بجزع واديهم سحَيرا

مررت بجزع واديهم سحَيرا

وليس الماء فيه بالمعين

وليس الماء فيه بالمعين

I passed by the bend of their valley just before dawn,

I passed by their valley in distress,

and the water in it was not flowing.

Though the water in it was not scarce,

وكنت بإثر ما ودّعت صحبى

وكنت بإثر ما ودّعت صحبى

ففاض النهر من ماء الجفون

ففاض النهر من ماء الجفون

And I had just bidden my companions farewell,

And I was after bidding my friends farewell,

so the river overflowed with the water of my eyelids.

So the river overflowed with the water of my eyelids.

وسرت وفى الفؤاد لهم حنين

وسرت وفى الفؤاد لهم حنين

فبالله ما أشجى حنيني

فبالله ما أشجى حنيني

And I journeyed on, with longing for them in my heart;

By God, nothing makes my yearning more intense,

so, by God, how heartrending my longing is!

I complain to the valley with my poetry,

أطارح ساجع الوادي بسجع

أطارح ساجع الوادي بسجع

يذيب بشجوه قلب الحزين

يذيب بشجوه قلب الحزين

I exchange cooing songs with the valley's cooing bird,

Melting the heart of the sorrowful with my lamentation.

whose sorrow melts the grieving heart.

O hills of you, my heart grieves,

أبا ورقاءكم تشجين قلبى

أبا ورقاءكم تشجين قلبى

وتندب فوق أفنان الغصون

وتندب فوق أفنان الغصون

O gray dove, how deeply you grieve my heart,

Mourning atop the branches of the saplings.

and lament above the branching boughs.

If I have taken weeping as my religion,

لئن كنت اتخذت النوح دينا

لئن كنت اتخذت النوح دينا

فسَح الدمع فوق الخد ديني

فسَح الدمع فوق الخد ديني

If indeed you have taken lamentation as your creed,

Then let tears flow abundantly down my cheek as my faith.

then pouring tears upon my cheek is my creed.

I suffer estrangement and separation's torment,

لعاني النأي والتفريق رقى

لعاني النأي والتفريق رقى

ومضنى البين في البلوى أعيني

ومضنى البين في البلوى أعيني

For the captive of distance and separation, chant healing charms,

And the distance in affliction has weakened my eyes.

and aid one wasted by parting in his affliction.

O dove, show me where they went,

أبيني يا حمامة أين بانوا

أبيني يا حمامة أين بانوا

بحق ذمام حبهم أبيني

بحق ذمام حبهم أبيني

Tell me, O dove, where they have gone;

For the sake of the reins of their love show me.

by the sacred bond of love for them, tell me.

Though not long has passed since their departure,

وما بالعهد من قدم ولكن

وما بالعهد من قدم ولكن

أرى التفريق يجمع لي شجوني

أرى التفريق يجمع لي شجوني

And our last meeting is not long past, yet

But I see separation gathering my sorrows.

I see separation gathering my sorrows for me.

My heart, the day they left, became

فؤادي يوم ساروا أو دعوه

فؤادي يوم ساروا أو دعوه

لهيب الجمر لما ودعني

لهيب الجمر لما ودعني

The day they departed, they lodged in my heart

Like burning embers when they bid me farewell.

the blaze of embers, when he bade me farewell.

O morning breeze to their highland,

نسيم صبا الأصيل إلى عُلاهم

نسيم صبا الأصيل إلى عُلاهم

بحقكِ بلغى شكوى أنيني

بحقكِ بلغى شكوى أنيني

O breeze of the late-afternoon east wind, toward their heights,

For your sake, convey the moaning of my lament.

by your own worth, convey the plaint of my moaning.

Over their plains the trains of my garment flowed,

على ساحاتهم جرى ذيولا

على ساحاتهم جرى ذيولا

وعند خيامهم فلتذكريني

وعند خيامهم فلتذكريني

Across their courtyards, trail your skirts,

And by their tents, let it remind them of me.

and beside their tents, speak of me.

And if one day they ask about my passion for them,

وإن سألوك يوما عن غرامي

وإن سألوك يوما عن غرامي

بهم فصفي لهم شأن الشؤون

بهم فصفي لهم شأن الشؤون

And if one day they ask you about my passion

Describe to them the state of my sorrows.

for them, then describe to them the affair of affairs.

I am forever enamored with them, and I have nothing

أنا المغرى بهم أبداً ومالي

أنا المغرى بهم أبداً ومالي

سوى ذكراهمُ في كل حين

سوى ذكراهمُ في كل حين

I am forever enthralled by them, and I have nothing

Except the memory of them at all times.

but remembrance of them at every moment.

Maybe time will unite what has been separated,

عسى الأيام تجمع نظم شملى

عسى الأيام تجمع نظم شملى

فتصدق بالمنى فيهم ظنوني

فتصدق بالمنى فيهم ظنوني

May the days gather the strands of my scattered life,

And fulfill my hopes regarding them.

so my hopes concerning them prove true through wishes fulfilled.